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The Patriots put Arizona State S Alden Darby through a private workout.

Darby attended East-West Shrine week and intercepted two passes in the actual game, which followed his All-Pac 12 selection by conference coaches. The Patriots have surprised many with their safety selections in recent years, and Darby could be the next one on the list.

NFL Draft Scout's Rob Rang mentioned on the Man 2 Man podcast that Washington State QB Luke Falk would be a "perfect fit" for the New Orleans Saints.

Rang mentions that Falk (6'4/215) will be in the mix for the third round. He'll have to be, as Falk wouldn't make sense as a first-round pick, and the Saints don't have a second-round pick in 2018. "I think you would see the accuracy, the toughness and the touch that [Falk] has rather than perhaps the average arm strength that he has," Rang said. "That offense wouldn’t ask him to make the same type of throws that other schemes, especially those playing outside, would ask him to make."

NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranks USC QB Sam Darnold as the top quarterback prospect of the last three years.

Darnold comes in just ahead of former North Dakota State/current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, with Jeremiah saying that Darnold's durability and level of competition giving him the slight edge. Darnold (6'3/221) had an inconsistent redshirt sophomore season, but it seems the flashes of brilliance he's shown over the last few years are just too tough to ignore for most analysts, including Jeremiah. It'd be a major upset if he didn't go in the first five picks.

NFL.com Analyst Bucky Brooks projects the Cowboys to take Alabama WR Calvin Ridley with the 19th pick in his latest mock draft.

The Cowboys certainly have a need at wide receiver, and despite his poor athletic testing at the combine -- a seventh percentile SPARQ score -- he's still considered by many to be the best in this draft. "Ridley is as polished as they come at the position," writes Brooks. "He's a clean route runner with strong hands and explosive running skills." We'd be curious if Ridley would serve in the slot -- the position he profiles best at -- if taken by Dallas.

McClendon (6'5/221) announced his decision to transfer in January. He was the backup to Ryan Finley last year, so he's headed to a school that could offer him a chance to play in 2018. In his time with NC State, the former four-star QB has thrown for 262 yards with a 1/4 TD/INT ratio on 26-of-47 passing. He'll be immediately eligible for playing time as a graduate transfer, and compete for the starting job with sophomore Charlie Brewer and possibly freshman Charlie Bohanon.

NFL Draft Scout's Rob Rang projects the Broncos to take USC QB Sam Darnold with the fifth pick in his latest mock draft.

This mock was updated after the Jets traded up to the third spot. Darnold (6'3/221) is the third quarterback off the board in this scenario, with Wyoming's Josh Allen going first to the Browns, and UCLA's Josh Rosen going to the aforementioned Jets. This may be a bit of a surprise to some after Denver signed Case Keenum, but considering it was only a two-year deal, he may not be the long-term answer. The Broncos could let Darnold sit and learn, and take over in either 2019 or 2010 as the (hopeful) franchise quarterback.

Pro Football Focus's Sam Monson believes that San Diego State RB Rashaad Penny is a "first-round talent."

Penny (5'11/220) remains a divisive prospect in this class even after his massive numbers at San Diego State, but you can count Monson as a fan. He cites his yards per carry after contact (3.32), which ranked at the top of any runner in this class. "The interesting thing about Penny, is that he is a player who looks better the more tape of him you watch," Monson writes. "While some players can dazzle with highlights only to disappear a bit the deeper into their tape you get, or simply present their flaws the longer you watch, Penny seems to impress even more the more tape you get through." Right now it's more likely that Penny goes on Day 2, if someone falls in love with his tape and the analytics, he could surprise and go in the first 32 selections.

JuCo 2018 LB Umstead Sanders is joining the Florida program as a preferred walk-on.

Sanders (6'2/240) joins the Gators from Raymond Hinds Community College in Mississippi. He had offers from Murray State and Jacksonville State. He just happens to be the brother of 2019 five-star running back Trey Sanders, arguably the top running back -- and some say offensive player -- in this entire class. We'll let you draw your own conclusions here.

Dansby at one point was one of the very best inside linebackers in the game, so this is a lofty compliment to Vander Esch. Zierlein calls Vander Esch a "loose-hipped, instinctive linebacker who played in 2017 like he had a GPS tracker on the football," and calls his productivity against the pass and rush "rare." Because of the positional value he may fall in the second day, but the 6-foot-4, 256-pound linebacker could easily go in the first 32 selections.

Reid is one of the most athletic safety prospects in this class, testing in the 95th percentile at the NFL Combine. He is the younger brother of Eric Reid and has been training with him during the draft process. Eric ended up being a first-round selection, and many feel Justin is on the same path. Justin Reid will have his wisdom teeth removed in the next few weeks.

UCLA OT Kolton Miller has a workout scheduled with the San Francisco 49ers and an official visit set with the Dallas Cowboys.

Miller (6'8/310) met with the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons at his pro day workout last week. Miller stood on his combine numbers -- no surprise since he tested as the class' most-athletic OL -- but looked good in drills. "He’s a long, lean tackle who moved well about the field," Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline wrote. "I was surprised to find out that many teams feel he’ll stay at left tackle in the NFL, as I’ve always viewed Miller as a right tackle prospect. Scouts love his upside and feel he has the agility to stay on the blind side."

The Denton Record-Chronicle's Brett Vito reports that North Texas is finalizing a new contract for HC Seth Littrell.

Littrell just netted a five-year extension last May. Now, after an offseason in which he's received some interest from other programs, he'll get a brand-new contract. While details and parameters for the deal have not yet been released, it's expected to include a raise and an increased buyout figure. Littrell inherited a dreadful North Texas team coming off a 1-11 record in 2015 and has turned it around in just two years, guiding the Mean Green to victory in the Conference USA West division for the most recent campaign and finishing the season with a 9-4 record -- only the fourth winning record the program's posted in the past 15 campaigns.